Coupling



l 1935- c. o. MERRILL 2,013,283

COUPLING Filed Nov. 19, 1934 INVENTOR.

Charles 0. Merrill Jam" ATTORNE taken online 1-1 of Fig; 1, and more fullyillusa e Charles 0'. Merrill, lje's Moines, Iowa e Application November 19, 1934, Serial'No. 753,629. L. l

V H 6 Claims. (o1. 287%104) The princip'alobject of my invention is to provideiacoupling that is capable of being easily and quickly placed in an assembledfior disas ,sembled condition. w

5- VA further object Iofthis invention is: vto proyide a coupling that is light in weight.

.:A still further object of my invention is to provide a coupler that is strong, economical in manufacture, and durablein use. r H i These and other. objects will be apparentto those skilled in the art. l J I V My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts ofthedevice, whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in'my'claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which: a i Y Fig. ,1 is a top plan: View ofimy complete-coupling in an assembled conditionand ready for use.

portion of my device, showing the construction of the manually operated'safety lock. Fig. 3 .is a cross-sectional view of the barr portion of the device, illustrating the construction. and arrangement of the locking bar; Fig. 4 isa topplan-sectional view of .the coupler in an assembled conditionandwith the safety lock on. J 'I Fig; 5 is a top plan-sectional view of my device. with. the elements in a position where they may be .detachedfrom each other and the coupler'disassembled thereby. I Fig.6 is aside-sectional view of the device assembledand with the safety lock on;

.1Fig.'7ris a cross-sectionalview of my device,

trates its construction: i

Much of our modern machineryfand'equipe ment requires the use of quick release coupling devices. The construction of my coupler is particularly adapted to the many uses of industry and although the drawing shows a coupler for connecting ropes, cables, chains, and the like, it will be obvious that the general construction also lends itself foruse in connecting electrical lead lines, hose, etc.

to the two elements to be secured together, re-

,Fig- 2: is a croSS' s ectiOnaI view the barrel tatably mounted in the case of the barrel H1. The numeral 14 designates acoil spring .embracing-the shaft l3, having one-end engaging the catch bar H and its other endengag'ing the barrel l0. This spring [4 yielding'ly holds-the bar H to a position substantially that of-the position of 'the-bar'shown in Fig.3.

The numerals l5 and l6 designatethe two engaging arms which are designed to be connected spectively. In 1, I show the two elements to o be detachably securedtogether, as'chainlinks I1 and 18; The two engaging arms are duplicates and each arm has its free end that is designedfto be inserted in'the barrel rounded, as shown in Fig. 5. I have used the'nume'ral l9 to designate a comparatively-flat face on each of the engaging arms.- These flat-faces 19 extend longit'udinally'ofthearms and are formed from the free end of eachof the arms to apoint near the attached end. When the two engaging armsare inserted'into' the two ends ofthe barrel portion these-flat faces faceeach other and are designedto extendoneither side of the catch bar.

The numeral 20 designates a notchformed in Eacliof these notches-20 has its sidewall closest the free end of the'arm extendingat approximately "a rightangleto the longitudinal axis of the arm and its other side wall extending outwardly and rearwardly to the flatface l5 of the arm at an angle tothe longitudinal axis of the arm, as shown irithe drawing. l

, By thisi construction the coupling may be coupled together by merely insertingthe'arrns l5 and lB-into'the barrel-to"positionsfwhere the notches-20 are adjacent the catch bar It. When in this condition the spring 14 will move the catch bar to an angle to the longitudinal axis of the barrel and into the notches Zil. With the catch bar in this position it is obvious that the arms l5 and [6 cannot be withdrawn from the barrel as the two marginal edges of the catch bar are abutting the side wall of each of the notches that extend transversely of the longitudinal axis of the arms. r

In order that the marginal side edges of the catch bar will conform with these transversely arranged side walls of the notches, the marginal side edges of the bar may be cut at an angle or tapered, as shown in the drawing. The rounded forward free ends of the arms facilitate the introduction of the arms into the barrel and past the yielding catch bar.

, To detach the coupling it ismerely necessary to force one of the arms further into the barrel to a position where its notch is past the catch bar,

I as shown in Fig. 5. While one of the arms is in such a position the other arm may be withdrawn l 30, dcsignates a spring band frictionally embracing completely from the barrel. The reason for this is that ,the combined thickness, of the arms and bar; is substantially'that of the. inside diameter of the barrel and when one of 'the'a'rnis'is 'foiced inwardly the catch bar will ride out of the notch; in that arm and onto the flat surface I9 of thf arm, forcing the catch bar into a position longla tudinally of the longitudinal axis of thebarrg al. 'With the catch bar in this position i't'will arse be out of engagement withgtheinotchof-thlothr T arm and this other arm may be slid,theref ore, out of the barrel without interference fromthe ca h bar- F m h citwi bc a ly s n. tha

mycoupling can be either assembled on detached byqainr y r ping a moving c..'. eac s arms; f5and,l6.

lllndercertain conditions-itjinay be: desirable to de ite y. lo k t e, c upl n a a ns d tachm nt a ,inth drawine, I snow an auxiliary saiety 10014 or catch which I will now describe. The-numeral 2i designates a longitudinal slot in he b rre "L a show in Fla e numeral 22 theoutside of. the barrel. The, numeral 23.:desig- 1 mic .a'ln s cured t the b nd 22,. and se extending, through the slot 2! intothe barreL A -'Io prevent any releasing movement of the arms ljand l6, the band is manually slid toward the center of thcbarrelwhere the lug23ywill contact 4o -"a ainst m m nt, r leas ux liary and n a the chbar a show in F a; an and Fig. 6., With the lugengaging the ;catch bar, all the parts inside, the barrel will be locked safety lock the band is slid away iromthe center line of thebarrel and the lug out of engagement with the:catch'bar, at which time the and! E; maybe operated inthe wayeh'ctebeforedescribed; Qbyiously, other means. may be used to lock the-armsand a ch,ban cains mov at l i2, .3 1 n w h es ay b adeinthe constructio d; ar an eme of my nin oyedic upling wi h out departing from the caLspiri -and purp s of my n i anditis. y i t ntion o c v r by ar-c ims ny odifi d auna of ruc u or use of mechanical, equivalents ,which may be e on l in e lw h n eir scope 1. In-a device ofithe classidescribedia barrel member, a bar mem r ot tab ymounted in said barrel member, a yielding meansfor hold ll fiaid 'bar to 7 one direction of,;its--rotation,. two arm membersdesignedto-extendfinto saidabarrel tending tranjsversel member from opposite directions, and a notch in 7 each of said armscapable of being engaged by said bar member. V

2. In a coupling,-a cylindrical member, a sub-:

stantially flat bar member said cylindrical member, a means for yieldingly holdingsaid bar member at an angle to the longitudinal axis of l I said cylindrical memben'detachable arms de-,

signed to extend into each end of said cylindrical member from opposite directions, and 'a depresby said substantially flat bar member.

' Sign i an ofs d ana e iineine engaged said two arms-andbarhaving a combinedthick-if ness substantially equal to; the iinside "diameter;

of saidcylindrical member.

.4.* In 1a couplling,,a cylindrical. member, a I

stan-tially fiat catchbarimemberinside'said cylin drical; member;:.a1neans for l yieldingly. holding saidqbar member at an angle tov .thelongitudinal axis of said cylindrical'member, two' detachable arms designed; to be inserted. into each end of a said cylindrical member respectively, aflat sur face on eachlof. said arms, and at notch formed :in the-fiatsurface of. .each or" ?said arms capable of being engaged by the marginalside edges of said barlmember at times. a r

5. In a.coupling ,-,.a' cylindrical member,'a subs;

stantially. flat bar memberxinsaid cylindrical member; aimeans for yieldingly holding saidbar I memberat Ian: angle to the longitudinal axis of;

said cylindrical member, A detachable arms designed to'extendeinto each end or" said cylindrical member from opposite directions, a dep rcssion in. each of said arms capable: of being engaged by said substantially fiat bar, member. at times; said two arms,v and bar having a combined thickness;

substantiallycqual to the: inside diameter" of. said bar member: against movementl relative to: said cylindrical member at times. 11,13; 5.

6. Inalcoupling, a" hollow member, a catch bar member. rotatably mounted finasai'd hollowmember, va a spring for .yieldingly. holding said" bar member transverselylofi' said hol1ow,member, a

detachable arm. designed to extend into each end of said hollow member, iandianotch in eachof: saidarms-capable of being engaged by saidbar cylindrical member, vand a means for lockingl's'aid l.

member: said. notch haying'one of its walls ex-' Y a I y of =the length of said arm in;which it"is formed. z Y ,ia ,5}! 

